The Best Possible Influence our Children

Last night I took my six-year-old daughter to the movie theater. On the way there she said excitedly, "Mom, guess what I want to be when I grow up!" After I tried to guess, she responded, "I want to be just like you!" Her answer nearly made my heart explode! 

As we watched the trailers before the film, I realized she was sitting just like me. I captured the moment with a photo because I know she won't always feel that way. 

I've been thinking a lot about what my girl wants to be when she grows up. Even though it made my day to hear her say that it also caused anxiety and dread to rise up within me as I thought about the influence parents have on their children.

There are so many things about me that I hope she never replicates. Things like my poor self-image, my inclination toward people-pleasing, the guilt I feel when I need to rest or take a break, my desperate attempts to feel loved and the poor choices that resulted, my tendency to be impatient, and my habit of allowing others to treat me poorly, and the inability to see the good things about myself.

As I thought about this, Father God reminded me that I do not have to be a perfect woman or mother to have a beautiful influence on my children. My honesty, transparency, and willingness to be "real" with them will teach them far more than my attempts to be perfect.

Isaiah 54:13 says, "All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children."

Since God promises to teach my children, I need to focus on being who God created me to be, being honest about my flaws, and spending time praying over my babies. Bringing my daughter to the feet of the Father will allow me to influence her in ways I never could otherwise.

I pray she will always see the beauty within herself and understand that her worth comes from the One who created her. I pray she will not hate herself when she makes mistakes but will show herself the same grace she shows others. I pray she will seek the Lord with all her heart, soul, mind, and strength and when she feels herself pulling away from Him, I pray she will never doubt His willingness to welcome her back into His arms. I pray she will respect herself and never accept being mistreated by others. I pray she will love others even when she doesn't agree with them, but never allow them to drag her down. I pray God will give her the desires of her heart and the joy she is filled with will spill out onto those around her. 

The responsibility we have as parents can feel overwhelming at times but thankfully, God promises to lead and guide our children, and He can be trusted because He is a good, good Father. Pointing our children to Jesus and praying over them is the best possible influence we can have on them. 

Tori